Hamas in the Crosshairs

"It would be fascinating to learn what is going on in the heads of Hamas leaders who appear to be bending over backwards to insure that they are high on the list of targets of Egypt's new "war on terrorism." On the contrary, their current attitude seems to be "bring it on... It's unfathomable, and because they are directly responsible for the well-being of the people of Gaza, unforgivably irresponsible." Hussein Ibish of ATFP

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/26/hamas-in-the-crosshairs.html

Hamas in the Crosshairs

by Hussein Ibish

Today's BBC headline says it all: "Egypt crisis: Morsi accused of plotting with Hamas." In other words, just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for Hamas, they suddenly did.

Former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has been arrested on a variety of charges, mainly to do with alleged crimes in collusion with Hamas. The accusations include several attacks on various prisons, including a 2011 jailbreak in which Morsi escaped. Morsi is specifically charged with collaborating with Hamas "to carry out anti-state acts, attacking police stations and army officers and storming prisons, setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners." Heady stuff to say the least.

Yesterday in Open Zion, I explained how of the Egyptian military, government and a significant percent of the population sees Hamas as an integral part of a wide-ranging security crisis. This includes the ongoing and intensifying insurgency by "Jihadist" militants in Sinai, which continues to deteriorate. Hamas is widely believed to have an ongoing cooperative relationship with these extremists, to the detriment of Egyptian national security, and some 35 of its fighters are said to have been killed when the Egyptian counteroffensive began two weeks ago.

That the Sinai insurgency exploded with unparalleled fury immediately after the ouster of Morsi fueled heavy suspicions on the part of many in Egypt that the former president was giving the extremists "a free hand" in Sinai and that Hamas was deeply involved in fueling this crisis. The Egyptian authorities are facing a two-front battle involving Muslim Brotherhood supporters and opponents in competing protests and street clashes, as well as the Sinai insurgency.

Alarm has intensified given a bomb attack on Wednesday against the police headquarters in the city of Mansoura, which killed one soldier and injured 28 others. The bottom line concern is that coordinated, armed anti-government violence seems to be spreading from the Sinai periphery into more central parts of Egypt, and that such violence is at least parallel to, or at worst dovetailing with, unrest stoked by angry Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

Reports that Brotherhood officials have assured local elders that attacks in Sinai would stop if Morsi were reinstated as president reinforce the idea that there is an ideological and, indeed, operational connection between the Brotherhood and the Sinai extremists...READ MORE

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New York Times: Israeli Land Measure Called Discriminatory

GENEVA — The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, urged Israel to reconsider legislation that could lead to the demolition of Bedouin villages in the Negev desert, asserting that Israel was actively pursuing discriminatory policies by forcibly displacing its Arab citizens.  

“I am alarmed that this bill, which seeks to legitimize forcible displacement and dispossession of indigenous Bedouin communities in the Negev, is being pushed through the Knesset,” Ms. Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement released in Geneva on Thursday. The measure would likely result in the demolition of up to 35 Bedouin villages and the eviction of 30,000 to 40,000 Bedouin Arabs from ancestral lands and homes, she said...READ MORE

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/world/middleeast/un-official-asks-israel-to-reconsider-bill-on-bedouins.html?ref=middleeast

World Briefing | Middle East

By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE 

Published: July 25, 2013

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Israel has frozen co-operation with the European Union on work in the Palestinian territories in retaliation for an EU directive banning funding or grants for bodies with links to Israeli settlements.

Construction work at the Ariel settlement in the West Bank. Photograph: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

Israel freezes co-operation with EU in Palestinian territories

Move follows European Union directive banning funding for bodies linked with Israeli settlements

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/israel-freezes-co-operation-eu-palestinian

• Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 26 July 2013

Israel has frozen co-operation with the European Union on work in the Palestinian territories in retaliation for an EU directive banning funding or grants for bodies with links to Israeli settlements.

The move, authorised by the defence minister, Moshe Ya'alon, affects all projects requiring permits from the Civil Administration, which governs Area C, the 60% of the West Bank under full Israeli control; access of EU diplomats and representatives to Area C and Gaza; and joint meetings.

No permits have been issued to EU humanitarian aid workers to enter Gaza for several days, according to a western diplomatic source.

"We are freezing the relationship on everything," said an Israeli official. "We did this as soon as we heard [about the directive]. We can't act like nothing happened."

The EU provides aid and equipment to Palestinian communities in Area C, many of whom are threatened with displacement and the demolition of their homes, animal shelters and other structures. The EU also helps train Palestinian security forces... READ MORE

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

My letter to the Washington Post RE Kerry’s Captain Ahab quest By David Ignatius

RE Kerry’s Captain Ahab quest By David Ignatius
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-john-kerrys-middle-east-work-bears-fruit/2013/07/24/cd67f60a-f3e7-11e2-aa2e-4088616498b4_story.html

Dear Editor,

The only sure bet on Middle East peace is that if the Israel-Palestine conflict continues countless more men, women, and children will be tormented and impoverished by that conflict- and religious tyranny, terrorism, corruption, and cruelty will thrive. 

Kudos to Kerry for persisting with America's quest to help facilitate a just and lasting peace for both Israel and Palestine. 

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES

*******
Live by the Golden Rule
Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

“Generations of Commitment" American Task Force on Palestine Honoring the Achievements of Palestinian-Americans ... & This Could Actually Work: Why John Kerry's Middle East peace push isn’t a fool's errand.

My letter to CSM RE What will drive Israelis, Palestinians to talks & Middle East peace talks: Finding believers amid the skeptics

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, July 19, 2013 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stepped up his drive to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table, meeting with the Palestinian president Friday as he sought to close a deep divide between the two sides over a formula for resuming peace talks after nearly five years. Mandel Ngan/Pool/AP

RE: What will drive Israelis, Palestinians to talks- With Secretary John Kerry confident of talks starting soon, the new imperatives in the US and Middle East can help drive a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian leaders. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2013/0723/What-will-drive-Israelis-Palestinians-to-talks 

(& Middle East peace talks: Finding believers amid the skeptics http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2013/0723/Middle-East-peace-talks-Finding-believers-amid-the-skeptics )

Dear Editor,

"Middle East peace talks: Finding believers amid the skeptics" was a relief to read: It certainly is a much more helpful approach than nay saying pessimism which might sound clever and well informed but tends to persuade more and more people worldwide not to bother to believe in diplomacy and peace much less do what they can to help make peace and progress a reality.

Hussein Ibish of the American Task Force on Palestine is absolutely right that "We’ve gone from nothing to something... you’ve got to start with something.”  Your subsequent editorial "What will drive Israelis, Palestinians to talks" was also absolutely correct to conclude that "these talks need even more public and private support than past talks. What’s happening outside the negotiating room might be far more consequential than the deal making inside."

Starting with something on a personal level can be as simple as ignoring the temptation of cynicism and nay-saying.  Be part of the momentum that makes a just and lasting peace a priority... Ending the Israel-Palestine conflict with a negotiated settlement firmly based on full respect for international law and universal basic human rights gives both Israel and Palestine a chance to help make this world a better place for all people, regardless of supposed race or religion.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
Congress overstepped with its 'Jerusalem, Israel' designation: US consular officials have maintained a long-running policy of neutrality on issues touching on the disputed status of Jerusalem. Israel claims a united Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians want historically Arab East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. ATFP and APN foster open dialogue and constructive conversation on Israeli-Palestinian relations

Israeli Settlers torch 400 Palestinian olive trees near Bethlehem

Israeli and Palestinian bands unite in 'metal brotherhood' Joint 18-gig tour by Orphaned Land and Khalas will take message of coexistence through rock'n'roll across Europe

Hussein Ibish: Muslim Brotherhood’s fiasco in Egypt will change future of Islamism

Finding peace for Israelis and Palestinians among people – not policies

Helen Thomas, Barrier-Busting White House Reporter, Is Dead at 92

“Generations of Commitment" American Task Force on Palestine Honoring the Achievements of Palestinian-Americans ... & This Could Actually Work: Why John Kerry's Middle East peace push isn’t a fool's errand.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your Member of Congress to Oppose Visa Waivers to Israel: US laws mandate that all US citizens be afforded equal protection while traveling abroad, and therefore, Israel's engagement in racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination against US citizens is unacceptable and should not be codified in law

EU takes tougher stance on Israeli settlements... directive prohibits EU states from signing deals with Israel unless settlement exclusion clause is included

This Week in Palestine: My Mother, My Grandmother, and the Food They Made by Rana Abdulla

I AM MALALA ...infinite hope... #Malaladay

The New Arab Awakening

From Palestinians' point of view, the law [Israel's Absentee Property Law] has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

Leaders must seize opportunity for peace and security... "The Arab League's peace initiative has regained relevance. The initial position between the parties is bleak, but the status quo is not an alternative. The Israelis and the Palestinians must now seize what is perhaps the last opportunity to create peace and security."

Palestinian Wedding Singer Enchants the World

"In 1949, the international community accepted Israel's UN membership upon two conditions: That they respect resolutions 181 (two states) and 194 (refugee rights). Neither has been honored. In fact, 65 years later, Israel has not even acknowledged what it did in 1948." Saeb Erekat

Jordan's King Abdullah II explains that extremism has "grown fat" off of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

American Task Force on Palestine Alarmed by "Price Tag" Violence, Welcomes Israeli and Jewish-American Condemnation

From the archives... 1971 & 1967

“Were you really shot in a fight over water?” He winces out his answer: “It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about the Muslim Brotherhood. It was about water.”

This Week in Palestine: Palestinian Institutions A Story of Perseverance ... Salam Fayyad "This was not about roads, buildings, or infrastructure, despite their importance. This plan was about statehood, citizen participation, and enfranchisement. It was based on the vision of establishing a functional framework where government is accountable and citizens participate in the widest and most effective way possible in decision-making and governance."

Palestine now recognised by greater power than US or Israel – Google

"I come from there and I have memories... "

*******

The Balfour Declaration of 1917

".... it being clearly understood that nothing
          shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious
          rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine....

The Office of International Religious Freedom ( http://www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/)   Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to:

Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

Palestinian Refugees(1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Live by the Golden Rule

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

What is an Israeli settlement.... it is a tax payer plus charity investment in highways, housing, freedom, jobs, security, and respect for Jewish Israelis, while the native non-Jewish Palestinians are persecuted, impoverished, pushed into forced exile- and demonized for objecting to such institutionalized bigotry and blatant injustice.

Empowering Peace & Palestine

Refugees and the Right of Return

Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside.  What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer – a decision must not be imposed upon them.

UN Resolution 194 from 1948  : The refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt

Congress overstepped with its 'Jerusalem, Israel' designation: US consular officials have maintained a long-running policy of neutrality on issues touching on the disputed status of Jerusalem. Israel claims a united Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians want historically Arab East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

The Dome of the Rock is seen on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City September 14. (Darren Whiteside/Reuters)

Appeals court

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/0723/Appeals-court-Congress-overstepped-with-its-Jerusalem-Israel-designation

The ruling, in the case of parents who wanted their son's US passport to read 'Jerusalem, Israel' as his place of birth, said Congress intruded on the exclusive power of the executive branch in passing a 2002 law.

By Warren Richey, Staff writer / July 23, 2013 

Congress intruded on the exclusive power of the executive branch when it passed a 2002 law requiring US consular officials to list “Israel” as the place of birth of American children born in Jerusalem, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

The decision marks a setback for American-citizen parents whose children were born in Jerusalem and who want their child’s newly-issued US passport to reflect that they were born in Israel.

Despite passage of the law, US consular officials have maintained a long-running policy of neutrality on issues touching on the disputed status of Jerusalem. Israel claims a united Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians want historically Arab East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.

Under the long-held policy, newly issued passports for newborns were to reflect simply that the child was born in “Jerusalem,” with no reference to whether that city is part of Israel, part of Palestine, or some other status....READ MORE

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Israeli Settlers torch 400 Palestinian olive trees near Bethlehem

Settlers torch 400 olive trees near Bethlehem

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=616042 
23/07/2013

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Settlers set fire to over 400 olive trees in a village southwest of Bethlehem on Sunday, locals said.

More than 12 acres of trees were set alight by settlers from nearby Bat Ayin settlement, witnesses said. The land belongs to Haj Abdul-Rahman Hamdan.

Since 1967, Israeli forces have confiscated over 2,500 acres of land from al-Jaba village, leaving only 750 acres to Palestinian residents.

My letter to IHT/NYTimes RE The Two-State Imperative by Roger Cohen

Handala - a small boy with his hands behind his back- the symbol of refugees and the right of return.

RE The Two-State Imperative by Roger Cohen
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/opinion/global/roger-cohen-the-two-state-imperative.html?ref=global

Dear Editor,

My heart sinks on reading respected New York Times columnists who toy with the topic of Israel-Palestine by foolishly insisting that Israel needs a two state solution in order to remain Jewish.

There is a much better argument, a more civilized imperative and a much more righteous as well as sensible way to build a just and lasting peace: Both Israel and Palestine need a two state solution to actually end to the Israel-Palestine conflict... A fully secular end to the conflict based on full respect for international law and universal basic human rights.

Religion should be a personal private choice as well as a cherished inheritance, not a state sponsored project. Tax payers here and there should not be forced to fund & empower religious scholars and schemes.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
Israeli and Palestinian bands unite in 'metal brotherhood' Joint 18-gig tour by Orphaned Land and Khalas will take message of coexistence through rock'n'roll across Europe

Hussein Ibish: Muslim Brotherhood’s fiasco in Egypt will change future of Islamism

Finding peace for Israelis and Palestinians among people – not policies

Helen Thomas, Barrier-Busting White House Reporter, Is Dead at 92

“Generations of Commitment" American Task Force on Palestine Honoring the Achievements of Palestinian-Americans ... & This Could Actually Work: Why John Kerry's Middle East peace push isn’t a fool's errand.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your Member of Congress to Oppose Visa Waivers to Israel: US laws mandate that all US citizens be afforded equal protection while traveling abroad, and therefore, Israel's engagement in racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination against US citizens is unacceptable and should not be codified in law

EU takes tougher stance on Israeli settlements... directive prohibits EU states from signing deals with Israel unless settlement exclusion clause is included

This Week in Palestine: My Mother, My Grandmother, and the Food They Made by Rana Abdulla

I AM MALALA ...infinite hope... #Malaladay

The New Arab Awakening

From Palestinians' point of view, the law [Israel's Absentee Property Law] has always been controversial. The rights of refugees are a core issue in their conflict with Israel.

Leaders must seize opportunity for peace and security... "The Arab League's peace initiative has regained relevance. The initial position between the parties is bleak, but the status quo is not an alternative. The Israelis and the Palestinians must now seize what is perhaps the last opportunity to create peace and security."

Palestinian Wedding Singer Enchants the World

"In 1949, the international community accepted Israel's UN membership upon two conditions: That they respect resolutions 181 (two states) and 194 (refugee rights). Neither has been honored. In fact, 65 years later, Israel has not even acknowledged what it did in 1948." Saeb Erekat

Jordan's King Abdullah II explains that extremism has "grown fat" off of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

American Task Force on Palestine Alarmed by "Price Tag" Violence, Welcomes Israeli and Jewish-American Condemnation

From the archives... 1971 & 1967

“Were you really shot in a fight over water?” He winces out his answer: “It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t about the Muslim Brotherhood. It was about water.”

This Week in Palestine: Palestinian Institutions A Story of Perseverance ... Salam Fayyad "This was not about roads, buildings, or infrastructure, despite their importance. This plan was about statehood, citizen participation, and enfranchisement. It was based on the vision of establishing a functional framework where government is accountable and citizens participate in the widest and most effective way possible in decision-making and governance."

Palestine now recognised by greater power than US or Israel – Google

"I come from there and I have memories... "

*******

The Balfour Declaration of 1917

".... it being clearly understood that nothing
          shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious
          rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine....

The Office of International Religious Freedom ( http://www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/)   Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to:

Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

Palestinian Refugees(1948-NOW) refused their right to return... and their right to live in peace free from religious bigotry and injustice.

The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Live by the Golden Rule

"Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson

What is an Israeli settlement.... it is a tax payer plus charity investment in highways, housing, freedom, jobs, security, and respect for Jewish Israelis, while the native non-Jewish Palestinians are persecuted, impoverished, pushed into forced exile- and demonized for objecting to such institutionalized bigotry and blatant injustice.

Empowering Peace & Palestine

Refugees and the Right of Return

Palestinian refugees must be given the option to exercise their right of return (as well as receive compensation for their losses arising from their dispossession and displacement) though refugees may prefer other options such as: (i) resettlement in third countries, (ii) resettlement in a newly independent Palestine (even though they originate from that part of Palestine which became Israel) or (iii) normalization of their legal status in the host country where they currently reside.  What is important is that individual refugees decide for themselves which option they prefer – a decision must not be imposed upon them.

UN Resolution 194 from 1948  : The refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt

ATFP and APN foster open dialogue and constructive conversation on Israeli-Palestinian relations

ATFP and APN foster dialogue on Israeli-Palestinian relations featuring interns and college students
July 21, 2013

On July 18th a unique gathering of college students and recent graduates discussed how to constructively talk about Israeli-Palestinian relations on campus. American, Israeli, Palestinian and international students sat in a circle at the Washington Center

Israeli and Palestinian bands unite in 'metal brotherhood' Joint 18-gig tour by Orphaned Land and Khalas will take message of coexistence through rock'n'roll across Europe

Israeli heavy-metal band Orphaned Land, who are to tour with Palestinian fellow rockers Khalas. Photograph: Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/21/israeli-palestinian-bands-unite-tour

• Harriet Sherwood in Tel Aviv
• The Guardian, Sunday 21 July 2013 11.32 EDT

They are united by facial hair, frayed jeans and a love of heavy metal – plus a belief that music is above politics, religion and conflict. Now the Israeli band Orphaned Land is joining forces with the Palestinian group Khalas to take a message of coexistence through rock'n'roll across Europe.

An 18-gig tour will see the bands perform in six countries, including Britain, this autumn. The musicians will share both a stage and a tour bus for three weeks, proving in practice that their "metal brotherhood" overrides differences of religion and national identity.

At a concert to launch their European tour in Tel Aviv last week, Orphaned Land's lead singer, Kobi Farhi, and Khalas's lead guitarist, Abed Hathut, explained their mission.

"We can't change the world, but we can give an example of how coexistence is possible," said Farhi. "Sharing a stage and sharing a bus is stronger than a thousand words. We'll show how two people from different backgrounds who live in a conflict zone can perform together."

"We are metal brothers before everything," said Hathut. But, he added, "there is no bigger message for peace than through this tour".

Coexistence ventures may be new in the world of heavy metal, but precedent was set in the high-brow realm of classical music more than two decades ago, when Jewish conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian intellectual Edward Said co-founded an orchestra of young Israeli, Palestinian and Arab musicians.

The members of Khalas, which is the supporting act on the tour, and Orphaned Land have "become soulmates" since meeting at a radio station and realising they have more in common than divided them...READ MORE

Hussein Ibish: Muslim Brotherhood’s fiasco in Egypt will change future of Islamism

Egyptian hieroglyphs

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/brotherhoods-fiasco-in-egypt-will-change-future-of-islamism#full

Brotherhood’s fiasco in Egypt will change future of Islamism

By Hussein Ibish

With the removal of the Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, the future of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamism in general, is undoubtedly at a turning point. The question is typically being cast as a binary: is this “the beginning of the end” or “the end of the beginning” for the Islamist movement? Even if, in the final analysis, this proves a misleading question, it nonetheless articulates a precise and instructive framework for what is at stake.

Many observers have no doubt that this is the beginning of the end of the Islamist movement, at least as it has been traditionally structured and as a dominant ideology in the Arab states. According to these observers, if the oldest Muslim Brotherhood party cannot maintain popular legitimacy in Egypt after only one year in office, then the ideology itself simply isn’t a practicable model for governance anywhere.

Sunni Islamists will invariably fail in power because Islam is a religion and not an actual political ideology. Islamism doesn’t have the intellectual heft, breadth or depth to suggest any answers to most policy questions. It essentially boils down to a set of religiously conservative social attitudes. It only takes a short while in office to reveal that.

Moreover, the very qualities that made the Brotherhood so effective as an opposition group – secrecy, discipline, streamlined hierarchy and a paranoid suspicion of all outsiders – proved crippling in office... READ MORE

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

"The grassroots approach is challenging and circuitous, and peace is slow to come. Dialogue groups are fighting fire with water, but every Palestinian home that gets demolished, every missile that comes over from Gaza, is like a shot of gasoline. As an American, I believe in the power of the popular will, and that every person who can come to see the other side for all their humanity helps build a coalition for peace" Kelly Payne

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2013/0719/Finding-peace-for-Israelis-and-Palestinians-among-people-not-policies

Finding peace for Israelis and Palestinians among people – not policies

John Kerry or the Arab League may prod a peace deal into place, but nothing can last unless ordinary people living under the policy see that every Israeli is not a settler and every Palestinian does not begrudge Israel a right to exist. I've seen the groundwork of that dialogue at work.

By Kelly Payne, Op-ed contributor / July 19, 2013 

Secretary of State John Kerry meets with members of the Arab League Peace Initiative in Amman, Jordan, July 17. Mr. Kerry is on his sixth visit to the region, seeking to persuade the Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct negotiations, frozen for almost three years. Op-ed contributor Kelly Payne writes: 'Politics make issues impersonal. To create or loosen personal convictions...people have to share their real-life narratives.'

Mandel Ngan/AP

T el Aviv, Israel

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a perennial feature of the Middle Eastern political scene. Students of international relations like me find it intriguing, but also tiring – and static. Issues that can change, developments that are fluid, trends that are dynamic – that’s where I see students’ interests pulled instead. I myself almost began to forget how much this conflict mattered until a very personal association forced me to confront its intractable reality. I began to date a student at Yale from the Palestinian territories. Even to me, that sounds like a really silly way to find your political conscience...READ MORE